Socializing, Content and Coaching

Understanding the importance of social interaction, decreasing information overload and coaching adult learners when designing training

Jul 15, 2006

Adult learners benefit from the social interaction that training provides. To learn, they need the information to be concise and delivered by a coach, not a lecturer.

Adults have unique needs when it comes to training delivery. Understanding the unique training needs of adults will help you develop and/or deliver training that allow for learning and retention of key concepts. This is the forth of four articles on the principles of adult education.

Do not discount the value of the social and relationship building benefits of training. Making connections with colleagues in and outside of the company or organization is a valuable resource sharing tool. These connections can lead to partnerships and other joint ventures where a high level of expertise can be pooled. Idea sharing among like-minded individuals is a powerful motivator of innovation.

It is sometimes hard to convince supervisors to let their staff attend training. Because of this, some trainers are tempted to cram in as much information as possible into the sessions while they have the attention of their audience. The trouble with this approach is that they will not be able to absorb the volume and their attention will be lost at the saturation point. This information overload approach can be alleviated by reducing the in session content and providing handouts (either online libraries or hard copy documents), e-learning opportunities or textbooks to supplement the in-class work.

There is a difference between giving instructions and directions and coaching. Adults prefer to be coached; coaching supports learning by facilitation as opposed to lecturing. Facilitation is the act of supporting someone while they experiment and try new things. If they make a mistake, a good coach encourages learning by asking questions to start a dialogue of learning. What would you do differently next time? Do you see any preventive measures that can be put in place to avoid a reoccurrence of this situation? The support from a good coach, especially when someone is new to the job or role, can have a strong impact on the length and scope of the learning curve. Learning to be a good coach is about reducing biases, keeping egos in check and encouraging open, honest dialogue.

If you have comments or suggestions on this article, please use the link below to start a discussion.

This article is part four of a four part series on the principles of adult education.

The copyright of the article Socializing, Content and Coaching in Training/Professional Development is owned by Joni Rose. Permission to republish Socializing, Content and Coaching in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.